-A.N.- So I thought up this story when I was reading a lot of the other FanFictions that you all have written. What would happen if the story took place in a different time. Now. I'm probably going to change some things that happen or how they happen. I mean I'm not going to write the same Suzanne Collins book. That belongs to her. But how would everyone react today if something like this happened?
DISCLAIMER: I don't own anything. If I did, it all would have ended differently.
I wake up, startled, to a loud sound that had reverberated around in my head. Looking at my surroundings quickly, I realize there is no danger here. Sighing I flop back down, face first onto my pillow. Just underneath the fluffy white bag my stiff fingers release the grip of metal that consists of a hunting knife. My very own home security. Sliding myself out of bed, I walk over to my window, still open and inviting a chilled September breeze. Leaning onto my hands, I search out on the world below to possibly find the source of my unwelcome wake-up call. Suddenly I hear a car engine roar to life and turn to see Mr. Craig's old Wagon backing out of his driveway. A backfire, I shrug, turning from the window hearing the car putter down the street, I've been woken up by worse sounds.
Looking over to the other side of the room I notice Prim, my little sister, isn't in her bed. It's not an uncommon thing. Yawning, I walk over to my bedside. Pulling the knife I had just had clutched in my palm from under the pillow, I tuck the weapon between my teeth as I lean down to pull on my Jeans. Exiting my room, I continue to tug and shimmy into my jeans. Stopping at the cracked door to my mothers room I take the knife from my mouth and push the door open cautiously. Peeking in on my family.
Yes, there she is. On her side, sound asleep, cocooned with my mothers body. They're pressed cheek to cheek, my mothers arm draped around my little sisters back. I see each of them take a breath and I drop my immediate defenses. While I notice in sleep my mother looks younger, yes she's still very much worn just not as tattered. It's now, in sleep, her face lit with the hint of morning light coming through her thin curtains I recognize the woman in the pictures my Father used to show me. The ones of her when they started to date, or of their wedding day. I see in her sleep, relaxed, the slightest hint of the beautiful young woman she once was. The face that Prim's is taking after. Who's soft, young, fresh face is as lovely as the primrose she was named after.
Pulling the door back closed behind me I almost don't hear the huff at my feet. Looking down I watch the world's ugliest cat look back at me as if in frustration while he trots down the hall ahead of me. Sorry, did I almost close the door on you? I ask him sarcastically in my head as I return to my room. The cat belonged to Prim, his name was Buttercup. She insisted on the name as it was fitting in her eyes. I could see nothing of the sort. All I saw when she brought him home, boney kitten with flea's and worms that he was another mouth to feed. After Prim's pleading, begging and finally tears, I gave in. It turned out alright. Mother nursed him to health and we found he was a born hunter. Mice, bats, insects... really it's impressive some of the kills he's accomplished. He's missing half an ear, the result of a tougher hunt, but in this house, we all have our scars.
Tossing the shirt I had been sleeping in onto my bed, I tuck my knife into the waistband of my jeans while I gather a clean tee from my dresser. Slipping into a bra and the top, I button and zip my Jeans. Throwing on a pair of socks, I tuck my feet into my trusty boots. Brown leather, old, worn, character. Flipping my hair around my fingers, I do it up in a quick braid, finding my face in the bathroom mirror as I brush my teeth. My eyes look tired and older than my years, I sigh and look down at the sink.
My bag slung over my shoulder, I jogged down the stairs, found a mug next to a pot of freshly brewed coffee and an over turned bowl. Prim. Sometimes she would leave me surprises like this. I loved my dear baby sister. We looked after each other, since my mother really couldn't. I took a hot mugful and just breathed in the powerful aroma before taking back a cautious mouthful. Lifting the bowl I found a small package of cheese. I placed it in my bag while finishing the hot drink. Pulling my jacket from the hook, I slip out the back.
As I walked through the street I noticed lights on in a couple houses, a few people moving around. It was barely sun up probably workaholics or... some other kind of addiction running them awake at this hour. Myself however? Well I'm a different story all together.
Kicking along a stone by the side of a main road, well a really old main, dirt, road and overgrown. I looked over my shoulder and up ahead to see if anyone was around. Seeing no one I turned and ducked into the woods. Following a trail I would know now even blindfolded, I find an old log and pull out a bow and arrow. My father's old one. I grip it protectively and turn to head further into the brush.
My father once was a hunter for sport. He loved using a bow over guns and all the other high tech weaponry that he could've had. He taught me how to hunt, watching these very fields, up in these very trees. The concept, the delight of the woods. There is so much more in the woods than trees and animals. There's herbs, shelter, serenity, fruit, vegetables, and meat. Food. The world provides for you in the woods if you know how to look. My father, Jacob, he taught me how.
See we live in a mining city. Well, just outside of one. He worked in the mines since he was old enough to. That was until there was an explosion that blew him and the rest of the crew into the mountain. There was nothing left of any of them. They didn't even find their equipment. Just fallen rock and the smell of burnt flesh that seamed to linger in the city for the week. That was five years ago. The nightmares still tug me out of sleep screaming his name.
This little town was one completely occupied by the lower class of man. Miners, addicts, and people who just couldn't keep up with bills and debt. I did what I had to to contribute to my family. Our bills and needs. Being as young as I was when my father died, I couldn't exactly get a job and my Mother could never do it on her own. We both knew it. So I did what I had to. What my father taught me. I grabbed his old weapons and headed into the woods.
Now I hunt what I can, and gather what I can find. Selling what I get to the market by the port. Most of the people there can use the things I get from the woods for cheap. Not having to pay me for labor and what not. The Market? Well I've learned alot from the people I work with there. Greasy Sae and the others, they talk openly about the world and what's happening. I've probably learned more from these people and my father then I ever will in school. Politics. War subjects. Government. Things that go on in this country that most people are none the wiser to. I learned real quick that if I repeated when I heard in the Market I could find myself in a heap of trouble. So I learned in public to keep my mouth shut and my face masked. And after one incident where Prim repeated something I had said at home, in school, I learned to edit what I said at home as well.
The woods is one place where I can be who I really am, think what I want to and say whatever I want without any re-precautions. Well the woods and with Gale. I roll my eyes at myself. Reaching the top of the hill I had been climbing to our place. I can literally feel myself relax. Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath I breath in the nature. Feel the newly risen sun on my face and release my breath. Our place has a rock were we sit to sometimes talk, or inventory our gathering, there's also a Thicket of berry bushes that hide the rock from view of anyone that could possibly be watching us.
"Hey Catnip." I smile and turn to find Gale sitting there on our rock over looking a valley. He's watching me and smiling back. He once told me that I only smile in the woods.
Of course, now, my name is really Katniss. But Catnip was a nickname that had to do with startled meetings, a shy child and a lynx. I pretended that it bothered me most of the time. I really didn't mind either way. I walked over and sat next to him on the rock. "Look what I shot." I turn my gaze to him once more to find him holding an arrow that had been shoved through a loaf of bread. I chuckle and take it from his hands, pulling out the arrow. Holding the bread up to my nose I take a long wiff. Fresh bread is one of my favorite smells.
I sigh. "It's still warm."
He nods. "The old man was generous this morning. Only gave him a squirrel."
Shrugging I hand him back the bread and dig into my bag. "Prim left me cheese." I hand the small cloth to him. Then watch as he cuts the bread and spreads the cheese over the slices. "Thanks." I say before taking a slice and bite into it.
"No, thank Prim for me." He replies next to me before taking a bite of his own slice. I only nod and stare out into the land while enjoying the small breakfast. Though it's more than we usually get. Berries and some nuts is the usual.
Listening to the birds, insects and just the familiar sounds of the forest as I lean back against the rock, now sitting in front of it. My eyes are closed until I feel Gale fidgeting on the rock behind me. He has something to say and he's trying to figure out a way to say it. I know I'm hard to talk to, I've been told. I cut people off and assume before I know. But if people spent more time talking and less time trying to figure out what they want to say we'd have moved on my now. I take a deep breath and wait.
"We could do it you know..." He trails off finally.
I release my breath and hum softly. "What?"
"Leave our lives, run away, live out here. We could make it." I heard such honesty in his voice that I had to take a moment, honestly waiting for the punchline, before looking over my shoulder at him. He was serious.
"Yeah?"
He nods gently. "If we didn't have so many kids." He adds quietly.
I stare at him, cocking my head to the side. Waiting for his face to break, this is him playing with me. It's a hideous idea. Now they're not really our kids. He's referring to our siblings. His two brothers and a sister. My Prim. Then well since he seems to be seriously considering this, he'd have to count our mothers in too, because let's be honest; they would never make it without us. I turn back to the view. Our families can barely make it as it is and it's really only because Gale and I work so hard to get the little that we can give. I know he's gone to bed hungry as many nights as I have, if not more, just because he made sure everyone else was taken care of first.
"I never want kids." I mumble trying to make him move on from this. He can't be serious, even if he thinks he is.
"I probably would. If I didn't live here." says Gale.
"Oh, but you do." It rolls off my tongue snidely as I sit up straight against the rock.
"Forget it." He snaps.
I stand up and start to gather my things. I don't know where this is all coming from. Leaving? Sure who wouldn't want to run away from all of the problems that we had. We just couldn't. We had families to take care of and just what exactly were we supposed to do? And this having kids talk? There was never anything between us romantically. He was older and when we started to hunt together I was a ignorant kid he had to deal with. We fought over who kept what. It took years before we stopped arguing and found peace with each other. Where was all this coming from? If Gale wanted someone to run off with he could probably have anyone in town. I've seen the girls in school. How they look at him when he walks by. I'm sure they'd all be willing to have his children and go anywhere he wanted. That thought alone made me jealous. But not for reasons you'd think. He was a good hunting partner, and were was I going to find another one of those?
"What do you want to do?" I ask him fiddling with the string on my bow.
"Let's put a few poles down at the lake and then head into the woods to gather." He says, taking off ahead of me.
I follow him down the side of the hill. He could be my brother. Olive skin, brown hair and gray eyes like me. We fit in here in the country side deep in the mining communities. My mother and Prim? They stuck out like sore thumbs. Fair skin, Blonde hair, bright blue eyes. Ever since my father died, I don't even look like I belong with my family.
By the afternoon we had caught a couple dozen fish, gathered a large bag of greens and herbs and picked as many strawberries we could carry. Heading to the market we hear the usual hustle and bustle that consists of the morning rush. People yelling, trucks unloading, butchers chopping. We begin our own negotiations with the people who know more about business than anyone you would ever meet in a suit. Sure, they probably cut us some slack because we're kids, but they also know that when we can we bring them some of the best meat they could sell to their highest paying customers.
Selling over half of our haul, Gale and I split up what we have left to take home. He turns to me at the point of our trail back where we split. I hand him his half of the money we got from the market this morning. He hands me my share of our fish. "See you in the Yard." I say as I start to walk backwards in the direction of my home.
He nods, tucking the money into his pants. "Wear something pretty." I shake my head, he winks and I turn around to head home.
When I walked through the front door, Prim was up and dressed already, coming out of the kitchen. Kicking the door shut behind me, I held up the few fish I had brought home for her to see. Her young, beautiful face lit up as she grinned, taking in the trout.
"Oh, that will be so wonderful tonight." Her voice was practically salivating.
I nodded and headed into the kitchen behind her to tuck the Fish safely in the fridge. Opening a small drawer in the corner of our tiny kitchen, I dropped the small sacks of herbs and other things we had gathered into it and shut the drawer tight. "How's Mom?" I ask cautiously, leaning over my hands on the counter, staring down at nothing as I keep myself in the corner of the room. There were no sounds for a moment as I turned around to see Prim sho now was facing the sink, preparing to clean the dishes and pots she had used for breakfast. I swallow my breath and stare at her small form.
"She's still in bed." Prim hardly whispered towards the sink." I stepped forward, brushed her blonde locks against the back of my knuckles and sighed. "It's okay." My hand then traveled into my own hair and caught on my braid.
Exiting the kitchen and leaving Prim to the dishes, I took the stairs two at a time before pushing open the door to my Mother's room and finding her, bathed in sunlight, propped up in bed. Taking a calming breath I walked to the closet, pulled out a navy blue dress and returned to lay it over the foot of the bed. My mother looked up at me then. I gaze back into her blue eyes. They're dark, like they are on her bad days. Pulling my lips between my teeth I walk around the bed and sit at her knees.
"My, what big eyes you have." I catch a smile from her and she turns to look down at the dress I lay on her sheets. Reaching up and patting her arm I clear my throat. "Come on, Mom. You have to get ready." Her face displays confusion for a moment, then it registers and she turns back to me. I nod.
Her hands gather in her lap and she looks down at them. "I forgot."
My hand squeezes her upper arm slightly and I follow her arm down to her hands, wrapping my fingers around them gently. "I know Mom, It's okay."
She tilts her head to the side and I stand up. The curtains are open and the sheets were pulled off my mother. Prim had done what she could to try and get her out of bed. I knew she would have. But some days, my mother was difficult. I turned the water on in her bathroom and walked over to leave her room. About to close the door behind me, I stop and peek my head back into the room. She looked up at me again. "We're leaving in an hour. Prim's made food and you should eat before we leave." At that I give her and encouraging look before closing the door and heading into my own room.
Taking a quick shower, I wash the hunt off of my skin and out of my hair. Going through my closet I find a soft blue dress and matching shoes. Something my mother had given to me last year. I decide to wear it. I don't have very many 'good' clothes. Well, really I only have 3 nice things to put together. This was one of them. Prim found me trying to zip up the dress and skipped over to me. "I'll help." She gripped the zipper and sealed me into the garment. Looking at her in the mirror I cocked my head lowering my eyes in a thank you. Prim skipped back to her side of the room.
Turning around, my eyes took in the sight of my little sister in a set of my old 'nice clothes' a white dress blouse and a royal blue skirt. They were still too big for her and since she had just thrown them on, probably while I was in the shower, they were askew. The blouse was long, so she had tried to tuck it into the skirt as to make the outfit work. However part of the top in the back was still sticking out and the skirt was bunched as well, making the backside look like a ducks tail. I chuckled and walked towards her. "You should tuck your tail in little Duck." I poked her side. She giggled and turned around to look up at me in question. I took her shoulders and turned her so I could fix the clothes.
She lets out a small "Quack." as I finish tucking everything into place.
"Quack yourself." I joke, laughing a small laugh only Prim could get out of me, pulling her into my side as I finish. Looking down at her curious, young, hopeful face.
I notice movement in our doorway and look over my shoulder to see mother standing there in her dress. Ready as though she had the whole world together. "The dress I got you..." She mumbles looking at me. I turn to face her and smooth out the material. "Let's put your hair up, too."
I look on in wonder as the woman who had just been laying in bed all morning oblivious to the world, was now coming towards me with a beautiful smile on her face mothering me into sitting down. I did as she asked and sat on a wooden chair Prim used to do her homework in. I pass on an opportunity to reject help from her. I passed on being so angry at her for what she became. Passed not allowing her to do anything for me. I close my eyes and let her towel-dry my hair and twist it around in her expert ways to leave my long hair in a beautiful braid up on my head. I open my eyes as I realized she had finished and came face to face with someone I hardly recognized.
"You're beautiful." Prim says softly from my side as I stand.
"Nothing like myself." I take Prim into a hug and look up at our Mother in an expression of gratitude. She smiles and nods at me once before heading out of the room. Prim holds onto my waist, I know the next few hours will be tough on her so I plant a kiss on her forehead and rub my palm down the length of her arm. "Come on, let's eat."
Prim had prepared us a small snack of a meal with crackers a little of her cheese and milk, there was also an apple she split between all of us. No, we didn't have the most choices, nor did we ever really have large meals. But we made due with what we had to survive and really, what else do you honestly need?
By the time we headed to the city center it was mid afternoon. Prim had a strong hold on my mothers hand and my hands couldn't stop wringing each other. When we reached the center my thoughts were no longer avoidable. The block was overwhelmed by banners and music, officials and roped off sections. Here we go. The rest of the day we were to be filmed.
Now, like I had mentioned, 5 years ago there had been a terrible mine explosion that blew most of the workers in this city into the mountain. It just so happened to be the most terrible explosion the company had seen, so what did they do? What most large companies do, they decided to make a big deal about it. Memorials and recognition. Believe you me, this doesn't make anything better for any of us. It made it worse. They announced the names of the families and cameras focused on us to show to the world how were 'surviving' without the people in our families that died in that explosion. Yes, exploit our pain. Sounds like a lovely thing to do. Really, the only good thing they actually did for us, was give us my fathers 'yearly salary' after his death to make us comfortable as we grieved and found a way to continue to support ourselves afterward.
By two o'clock they had started to herd us into sections. There are thousands of us, it's tight, claustrophobic and as they quiet us down and direct our attention to the stage. Looking around I find myself surrounded by all the other kids that lost parents in the event. Prim is hanging on my arm and I see her look up at me slightly scared. Turning to my left I find Gale in the crowd looking back at me. A ghostly smile on his face. I give him what might be considered a look of comfort, but I don't really know.
The music cuts and I can hear the microphone crackle. Swallowing an opinion I would have voiced to myself, I look up at the stage to find our Mayor up at the front of the stage with a stack of notes. Oh good, a speech. Picking at my dress, I listen as Mayor Undersee goes on about what happened 5 years ago. About the Company, the Town and how we're all handling the tragedy, by sticking together. That's when he begins to read the list of 'our dead' the men and women who died in the explosion. My face is masked and I stare up at the man mumbling into the mic. I wasn't about to let anyone see how I felt about all of this. I know there are cameras and they won't get an emotion out of me. They don't deserve it. Exploiting us and our pain, for what? To make themselves feel better? Really, how did that work? Why did anyone want to know how we were doing? Not that they actually did. I mean all they did was see the town and our older faces on the anniversary.
Prim's hand grips mine so tightly I wrap my arm around her, pulling her tighter to my side. It'll be over soon.
We don't stay for the food, the music and social part of the memorial. No, at the earliest opportunity we head home. My mother had gone home earlier, she couldn't take the crowd. Once Jacob Everdeen was announced, I saw her start to turn in ward. So as soon as I could make my way to her, I sent her home. Maybe the walk will do her good. It's okay, I can't be angry with her. Today was tough for all of us. She got this day to mourn. I would check in on her when I got home. Until then, she could be with her thoughts.
So when I gathered Prim from her school friends, we said goodnight to Gale and his family and then disappeared into the town.
The next day, at school, people were pretty much acting as usual. Some of the victims children still wore sorrow looks, however it was just turning out to be another typical Monday. We were unprepared and pushed into projects, homework was to be turned in that some kids had excuses as to why they didn't have anything to hand over. A few stories as to what some kids had happen over the weekend. Of course, only the truly interesting ones had circulated around the school population by noon.
The cafeteria was loud as everyone tried to talk over each other. Gossip, fights, jokes, songs. Overwhelming, to be honest. I sat with Gale and a few other older kids at a table by a set of double doors that led out into the main hall. We were almost finished with our food. Gale was telling our lunch companions about a time he was fishing (with me, out in an illegal part of the town) and his pole got caught between the wood slats in a dock and how he had to wrestle; not only the fish out of the water, but the pole out of the wood. It was pretty hysterical. I remember him asking me to help him as he tugged in two different directions. All I could do was laugh, sitting at the bank of the river, my hands covered in blood otherwise preoccupied gutting a deer I had shot down earlier. Shaking my head at the story, while everyone laughed, I just continued to eat.
That's when everything turned to hell. All I registered were gunshots and screaming as the lights in the building turned off. There was slamming, yelling and a few more gunshots as our attention was directed to the double doors next to our table. There was a man standing there, only partially illuminated by the emergency spotlight over the door.
"Now that I have your attention..." He said in an odd, unusual, bone chilling deep voice as he stepped up on our table, kicking our food trays off the surface. "Listen up!" He waved his machine gun around a few more times as a few girls screamed and one of the girls at my table scooted back away from him which resulted in her squishing against me. "Look around." So I did, my hunting skills kicking in. "There are three others like me in this room. We all have guns, which means you're going to do what I say." Everyone was quiet. He slammed the end of his gun down on our table. "RIGHT!" I heard a few wimpers as everyone responded with agreement this time.
"Good." Now he sounded pleased. "Okay, what we're going to do, is make one long line and head out of here and into the auditorium." He went to jump down off the table, but then stopped and looked around. "And if anyone tries to be a hero, we will shoot. You, your friends, whoever we want." He turned around directing this to us with his gun. "Understand?" There were a few yeses, most just nodded. He then jumped down off the table and everyone started to stand and form into one large line, wrapping around the tables. I found myself behind Madge Undersee. The Mayor's daughter. She was shaking and trying to contain her sobs. I layed my hand on her shoulder.
-A.N.- What did you guys think? Review, be honest. Be critical. Do you want to know more? Or should I reconsider the storyline? I have chapter 2 half finished already. You want to know what happens?
